Hearts’ difficulties continued in their league opener as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the Scottish Premiership. The Jambos had appeared positioned for victory after midfielder Oisin McEntee scored in the first half, providing manager Wouter Vrancken with a much-needed positive result following a turbulent summer period. However, the match took a dramatic turn late in proceedings, with Lewis Mayo equalising in the 90th minute before Kevin Nisbet converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure the win for the Dons.
The loss marked a third consecutive defeat for Vrancken, who took over the managerial role in June following Derek McInnes’ departure. Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson introduced Chris Cadden directly into the starting lineup just a day after the defender’s move from Hibernian, while the visitor made five changes from their previous fixture, handing debuts to goalkeeper Beau Reus and Laurent Mendy among others.
Hearts travelled to Pittodrie having not won at the venue in their previous 14 visits, adding to the apprehension surrounding the fixture. The visitors’ defensive setup included midfielder McEntee operating at centre-half due to an injury to Malachi Fagan-Walcott. Aberdeen’s attacking threat remained limited for much of the contest, with Hearts generally appearing secure until the late collapse that saw Stuart Findlay sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
The defeat came after Hearts’ 6-0 aggregate loss in Champions League qualifying earlier in the week against Sturm Graz. The club’s travelling support, numbering approximately 1,600, remained vocal throughout, directing protest songs at the Scottish Football Association regarding officiating decisions from the previous season that the supporters felt influenced their title chase against Celtic in May.
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